Today's portable communication devices are challenged to incorporate an increasing number of features into a small form factor. Portable communication devices, such as portable radio products utilized in the public safety market, are further challenged by having to operate under severe environmental conditions where maintaining appropriate venting and sealing of the product is imperative to proper operation of the radio. The venting and sealing of the ruggedized product needs to be operational at predetermined pressure ratings not typically associated with off-the shelf consumer type products. For example, ever-increasing water submersion ratings for ruggedized products present venting and sealing challenges.
Many of today's typical venting approaches have drawbacks making them unsuitable for the portable radio public safety environment. For example, air hole structures which are completely passive for venting offer no sealing capability and thus no protection in wet environments. Products which utilize membranes that must be removed for test purposes face issues with improper re-alignment and large venting structures take up too much real estate and face potential leak issues.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an improved venting and sealing assembly. An improved venting and sealing assembly that could address the above aforementioned problems would be of particular benefit for incorporation into a portable communication device utilized in the public safety environment.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.